Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1887-07-01
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

those employed in and about the hospital,
and have ,perfonal superintendence of
the farm, garden and grounds, and perform
such other duties as may be assigned him
under the bylaws OF the hospital, under
the direction of the board of trustees; he
shall purchase all supplies for the hospital
wherever the best grade of articles, in suit
able quantities, can be bought at the lowest
price, and so far as practicable, in large
rather than in small quantities.; and shall,
if in his Judgment it can be done to ad-
vantage, advertise for proposals for staple
supplies, such as meat, flour, sugar, coffee,
tea, fuel and other staple articles, and
make contracts for the furnishing of the
same in bulk or in quantity as may be
needed for use.
Section ~ provides:
The steward shall keep all accurate ac-
count of all receipts and expenditures in
/ detail, which shall be open to the inspec-
tion of the superintendent and board of
! trustees, and these accounts shall
be carefully balanced on or before
the 18TH day of each month and
closed biennially on the 30th day of No
of the legislature. There shall be provided
and submitted for the inspection of the
! superintendent and board of trustees, on or
| before the 10Th day af each month. an orig
| inal and duplicate balance sheet, which
balance sheet shall show the balance of ap-
pIOplldLlOIlS Ill Lne treasury, 10
be applied to the maintenance of the
| patients, or to the general use of the hos
pltal or from any source whatever. These
| balance sheet shall also show detailed
| statement of all receipts and disbursements
during the month, and to what apprOpri-
alton each belongs, together with the name
of each payee and the price paid. There
shall be submitted with the balance sheet
! the original bills of purchase; vouchers for
| the same and receipts of all other dsburse.
| ments of whatever kind, which bills of pur-
chase, vouchers and receipts shall have ell
dOrsed on the back of each the signatures
attached thereto with the month and year
of payment. After the orinal duplicate bal
| ance sheets have been endorsed as CORRECT
! by the superintendent and president of the
board of trustees the steward shall within
| five days thereafter file the original balance
sheet in the office of the superintendent
and the duplicates thereof with the
original bills of purchase, vouchers and re-
ceipts pertaining thereto he shall file in the
! Office of the territorial auditor, and upon
the presentation of the monthly balance
sheet properly signed and endorsed as cor
rect by the president of the board of trus-
tees, together with the original bills of pur-
chase, vouchers and receipts pertaining
thereto, the territorial auditor shall draw
his warrants upon the territorial treasurer
for the respective amounts therein stated
from the appropriations to which they are
properly chargeable.
Section IA provides:
No portion of any special APPROXIMATION
for the erection of any building or for the
| doing OF any work or for any purpose 9TH
er than ordinary expenses shall be drawn
from the territorial treasury in advance of
the work done or the material furnished,
| and then only upon proper estimates
thereof, approved by the trustees, and no
portion OF any appropriation for any pur-
pose shall be drawn from the treasury be.
fore it shall be required for the purpose for
which it is made, and no appropriation
which is or may me made for one purpose
| shall be drawn or used for any other Dur-
pose, and if at any time hereafter the
sum appropriated by the legislative as
sembly for any specific purpose shall be
found insufficient to complete and accom-
pish the purpose for which said appropri-
alton Is made, then no part of the said sum
SO appropriated shall be expended or
drawn from the territorial treasury. nor
shall any liability on the part of the terri
tory be created on account of sand appro-
priatiOn.
Section II, chapter 23, laws of 1879 and
not repealed, requires steward to give a
bond for the faithful discharge of his du-
ties.
The action of the trustees have been in
absolute disregard of the law. They ar
rogated to themselves the powers and du-
ties OF the superintendent and steward,
and either discharged these duties them
selves or empowered or allowed Mr. Colby
to discharge them, and thus prevented the
; territory from securing the benefit OF that
security for the faithful performance of
duties that these officials by law were re-
quired to render and they had given bonds
faithfully to perform.
The Interpolation in the stewards REPORT
shows the trustees were aware of the fact
that they had prevented the steward from
dlscharging the duties the law IMPOSED
This action of the board merits the severest
criticism for many reasons.
After careful examination of the act of
1887. AIN not satisfied have the bower to
remove, the office of trustee being for a
fixed period, and the further fact that the
acts complained of were committed by a
board OF trustees appointed in 1885. and
which went out of existence OH the forma
ton OF the present board.
The evidence taken by the examiner and
his report show an expenditure of large
amount of public funds which have not
been satisfactorily accounted for.
am not satisfied with the explanation
regarding the management of the late
board and the attempt made by majority
OF the present board, who were members
OF the former board, to continue the man
ner OF management justifies the executive
IN expressing his disapproval of continu-
ance OF such management. The past man
agement Indicates, to say the least. an
utter disregard of sound business pripri-
pies and defiance OF the law.
This gross misfeasance, if no greater Of
tense has been committed, justifes the ex-
ecutlve in taking such steps for the future
as he may deem advisable and the act of
1887 empowers.
Dated June 80, 1887.
Louis X. CHURCH,
Governor.